1,200 dengue patients hospitalised in 24 hrs

Hospitals across the country admitted 1,200 new dengue patients in 24 hours till Tuesday morning with reports of at least three people, including two children, dying of the mosquito-borne disease in three districts.

The deaths were reported between Monday night and Tuesday morning from Dhaka, Lakshmipur and Khulna. The deceased were Parash, 4, from Noakhali, Rasel, 32, of Gopalganj; and Samia, 8, from Dhaka.

The steep decline in the number of new dengue cases indicates an improving situation. On Monday, the government said 2,093 patients were hospitalised with the disease.

Health and Family Welfare Minister Zahid Maleque attributed the steep decline to the increased awareness of people.

Bangladesh has been struggling to tackle the dengue outbreak for over seventh months. Since January, 44,471 people were hospitalised, according to the Directorate General of Health Services. Of them, 36,884 had made full recovery.

Currently, 4,115 patients are undergoing treatment at 40 government and private hospitals in the capital. Another 3,432 patients are being treated at hospitals outside Dhaka.

The densely-populated capital city has been at the centre of the outbreak. Most of the dengue cases have been recorded here. The city corporations have been facing much criticism for their failure to control the outbreak as panic spread among people.

The steady inflow of new patients at hospitals put tremendous pressure on the already overwhelmed medical system. Many hospitals opened special wards for the new patients while some others accommodated the patients on corridors.

Although the government has so far confirmed 40 deaths, the unofficial estimates suggest a higher death toll.

3 die of dengue

Four-year-old Parash died on Monday night while he was being taken to Noakhali General Hospital after being diagnosed with dengue on Saturday morning.

Morshed Alam Hiru, pediatrician at Lakshmipur Sadar Hospital, said he suggested taking the boy to Noakhali General Hospital. “He died around 10pm,” Hiru said.

Rasel died at Khulna Medical College Hospital in the early hours of Tuesday, two days after being hospitalised, Civil Surgeon Abdur Razzak said.

Meanwhile, eight-year-old Samia died at the Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College Hospital (ShSMC) on Tuesday morning. She was hospitalised on 10 August.

Samia died at 6:30am.

Currently, 407 dengue patients are being treated at the hospital and 165 of them are children.